The segment of the Putah Creek which used to flow through the UC Davis Arboretum, is now called the Arboretum Waterway, and it enhances the beauty of the setting, despite the concrete walls. The waterway runs southwest from the Borders parking lot and Solano Park towards the UC Davis Equestrian Center. Lake Spafford is one of the many sites on this non-flowing section of waterway, near Mrak Hall. Every few years (nope, it was only done once in ~1992), this section of previously natural creek is drained for cleaning, and many stolen bicycles are recovered. There are several arboretum bridges and a dock.

Many claim that "Putah" descends from a local Native American word. However, more amusement is generated from the fact that puta in Spanish means "whore".

Waterway Fauna

Fish Species

According to a study conducted by Professor Peter Moyle in 2002, the following fish species inhabit the waterway: